I have long been asleep. I woke up and felt so lonely, for there was almost no one around.
For how long did I not hear any talking? Was this only a couple of months? Unbelievable!! Spring-time arrived in Seattle and I received new energy. The sun has helped me change, put on my new summer-dress. But I still felt lonely.
Things changed today. University started again and the students are back, enriching my life. A couple comes out of the building, both, the boy and the girl, having a big smile on their faces. They sit down in the grass next to me. Then the boy takes out a bottle of champagne, let’s the cork pop and hands it to the girl. She takes a huge sip and hands it back to the boy. “Now tell me all about it, Sarah.” He takes a sip himself and the girl, whose name seems to be Sarah, starts to talk, her voice sounding a little nervous but clear. “Well … I came in and professor Stoneman asked me to sit down. Like …like, he must have noticed how nervous I was for then he offered me some water and asked me about how my preparations went. He … well … he didn’t start right off with his questions, which helped me calm down a little. And then he asked me what I was mostly interested in and with which topic we should start the exam. Imagine you are asked what you want to be tested about – wouldn’t that be perfect? But I was still very nervous, yes, and it took me a while until I came up with something. Stupid me!! I’ve been working on Aeolian Processes for sooo long now, but it just didn’t want to come to my mind, so I said ‘Soils’, can you imagine that? Anyway, I managed - somehow. He started out asking what soils are and how they are built. You know, more like superficial things. Then he wanted me to point out an example for both chemical and physical weathering, going more into detail. To me it seemed as if he was not even really listening to what I was saying, like, his eyes were wandering through the room all the time. Suddenly he stood up, I was totally confused, eh, he didn’t say anything; so I stopped. … Sorry, am I talking too much? Probably you don’t want to hear all these details, right? But I’m so glad it’s over now and that it went so well.” “No, no, it’s OK, go on. I said I wanted to hear everything.” He gives her a little kiss on her cheek and she goes on: “Then he said, you know, ‘You don’t need to stop, everything has been right, so far. I’m just getting the globe from the shelf. Just go on talking. You’re good.’ So I went on talking. Next thing he asked me was about glaziers. He wanted me to point out the ice-spreading during the Pleistocene on the globe. This went well for the American continent, but then he also asked me about Europe and - Oh, look, there’s Tom.” Now she is screaming into the direction from which a tall boy with long blond hair is coming: “Hey Tom!! We’re here, come over!!” Again to the boy sitting next to her: “Maybe I’ll just go on later. We’ll have enough time for that.” Sarah stands up, hugs the guy, whose name apparently is Tom, and sits down again. “Hey Sarah, how was your exam? You look quite happy. I suppose it went alright!?” “Yes, I passed. Stoneman gave me an A!!” “Wow, congratulations. Hey Kevin, how are you doing?” Tom also takes a seat and leans with his back against my body. “Well, now I’m alright again. You can imagine how nervous I was, sitting in front of Stoneman’s door for 75 minutes, doing nothing but waiting.”
What a good feeling it is when someone is leaning against you ... I’m so glad spring is finally there and people are back at university. More people come over and sit down next to me and my new “friends”. Maybe they wouldn’t consider me as a friend, but for me, they are. Maybe they didn’t even recognize me - too bad I can’t just join their conversation. How much would I love to congratulate Sarah …
One of the new arrivers puts down a radio, another one spreads out a blanket. Then two girls unpack sandwiches and soda. What a nice picknick!! Lucky Sarah, what good friends she has. “Celebrating your passed exam, Mrs. Shoumacker?” “Oh, Professor Stoneman, I didn’t see you coming. Yes, we’re celebrating a little. Would you like to have a sandwich?” “No, thanks. I better leave you alone.”
Hmm, seems to be a nice professor. How studying must be like? Difficult to imagine when you’ve never in your life moved from the place where you grew up. And with the place I grew up, I mean the same square meter I am standing on right now. While I am imagining how it would be to be human and to visit a university, the group around Sarah celebrates her successful exam. And then I hear this song on the radio: “If every leaf on every tree / could tell a story / that would be / a miracle.” – My leaves ARE carrying a story. Not only their own life-stories, but deep in their hearts they also carry Sarah’s story, the story of her final exam of university. This truly IS a miracle.